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Patient Stories

More Oregonians trust OHSU with their heart and vascular health. Here are a few stories from patients like you.

Jessica

I was born with pulmonary stenosis. Later I was diagnosed with tachycardia and had an ablation to fix my heart’s rhythm. I was fine for about two decades until a couple years ago, when I suffered a grand mal seizure and was rushed to OHSU for open heart surgery.

Heidi

I was born with congenital heart disease and had multiple surgeries by the time I was three years old. Three decades later, I needed to have my pulmonary valve replaced. It’s a good reminder to get regular cardiac care: Even if you feel fine, the architecture of your heart can be changing.

Brittany

Don

I had acute aortic stenosis. A normal heart valve is about the width of a quarter: Mine was a centimeter. A friend of mine had recently had transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), and said great things about it.

Tom

Susan

When I was born, I had Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart condition. I had two heart surgeries, one when I was two months old and then open heart surgery when I was 14. When I moved from Alaska to Oregon, I needed to find a cardiologist. My doctor in Alaska was trained at OHSU, and so I knew it was a good place to go.

Jim

About a year ago, I suffered a heart attack - 99 percent of my lateral descending artery was blocked. I was taken to a local hospital, where I received a stent that saved my life. But afterwards I continued to suffer heart pain. I was referred to Dr. Joaquin Cigarroa at OHSU.

Miguel

Aki

As an Aikido instructor, Aki is a master at self-defense. But one day after teaching class in his southwest Portland studio, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Suddenly he faced a new and deadly opponent.